After the 10th Anniversary

September has been crazy so far. I knew it would be with the 10th anniversary this year. It actually started in August when I went down to the Jersey shore to speak in a synagogue in Deal. Spoke to an audience of 150. Then had a break until September 9th. Spoke in a high school in Great Neck to 400 kids. They were totally blown away, as was the faculty. I actually spoke in that school many years ago. Looks like I will be going there about every 4 years to speak.

Then it was on to Manhattan where I spoke Friday night, 9/9, to an audience of about 50 people and then Saturday morning, 9/10, to about 250 people. There were several speakers there including some first responders and I was truly motivated and moved by the other speakers. It was a great weekend. Sunday, 9/11, was a very difficult day for me as it always is. I did not turn on the TV, did not listen to the radio nor did I open a newspaper. I did not want to put myself through that. I spoke in My son’s high school in the morning and then went to the Cantor Memorial in Central Park in the afternoon. I must admit that it was easier than in past years. In some ways I was happy about that but in some ways I was sad. I was happy because I did not become so depressed but I was sad because I feel like it meant that the feelings were starting to wear off. I was not as sad when I saw all the names and faces of all those that we lost.

Wednesday night, 9/14, it was off to Montreal where I spoke in a synagogue to an audience of 200 people. I spoke about the need to change and how we need to become better people. I had a women who came over to me afterwards and told me that she was very moved by my talk and that she had decided that she was going to change for the better. There was a youth program director at the talk and he asked me to sign a few copies of the program because he wanted to show it to the kids and give them out as prizes. One older gentleman told me that he decided that he was going to become a religious man because he saw the miracles that happened to me that day and could not deny that there is a God. That was really special for me. I was very moved by the responses of this crowd.

Today, 9/15, it was a talk in a school in Brooklyn, 7th -12th grade. Normally it is very difficult to capture the attention of kids in that age range but while I was speaking you could hear a pin drop. The kids were totally mesmerized. After the talk many of them came over to me and said that I was blessed and asked if I could bless them. I gave them the priestly blessing from the book of Numbers from the Bible. They were very appreciative.

This Sunday I end off with a talk in the young Israel of Great Neck at 10:00 AM. If you are going to be in the area please come by to listen. I promise you won’t be disappointed. I plan on taking a break after Sunday so that I can concentrate on the upcoming holidays.

Check back my website for a calendar of future talks and check out my new book Miracles & Fate on 78. It is available through my website as an e-book and you can pre-order the physical book which should be out before the end of the month.